Universal Pictures has been keen on reamping its Monsterverse for a while now, with particular respect to last year’s origin thriller, Dracula Untold with Luke Evans. Since then the studio had already begun developing a reboot of The Mummy apart from its preceding trilogy which starred Brendan Fraser, with Chris Morgan joining fellow producer Alex Kurtzman who will also direct the reboot.
Alas, what better way to reinvigorate a franchise properly other than to cast a big name actor to set things straight? As of this week and according to sources informing Variety, that would be actor Tom Cruise, currently knee-deep into filming Jack Reacher 2: Never Go Back and already planning things for the August 2016 production of the sixth Mission: Impossible film.
Jon Sphaits is providing the script which will set The Mummy in present day and will coincide with other Monsterverse characters in later films centered on Bride Of Frankenstein to which actress Angelina Jolie is up to star, and characters such as The Wolfman and The Invisible Man. Variety also reports that Cruise will not be producing but will otherwise be engaged in advancing The Mummy throughout production.
Earlier reporting as of recent, also confirmed a few highlights for how the films will be conceived as time moves on while taking cues from Marvel and DC so as to share each film in the same space for future crossovers and tie-ins. “This is not a heightened world,” said Morgan. “We’re exploring issues of family identity and questions of, ‘Where do I belong in the world?’ ” Universal Pictures chairwoman Donna Langley also added her insight, stating “The characters will interact with each other across movies, “We’re incubating it at the moment, and we’re taking the time to get it right.”
The Mummy was slated to release next year though considering the time it will take for liftoff, that date could very well move into 2017. Time will tell.